Sisters

Hello,

This is part of a continuing story that I hope to turn into something like a novel. I'm not sure if this piece can stand on its own, but I do like the dialogue that goes on here. I've skipped a bit between the last portion I posted and this piece. If you've read anything from this piece before, then you'll recognize the characters. I've never been particularly good at making believable dialogue, so I can use all of the practice I can get. Hope you like it.

- Lena

I left Tia standing by the doorway and started putting away the breakfast things again.

But the silence didn’t last long.

“Just tell me why,” she said, turning around to glare at me.

“Why what?”

“Why don’t you like him?” she asked.

“I like him plenty,” I told her, beginning to rinse the breakfast plates in one of the buckets of well-water.

“Then why are you so mean to him?” She plopped back into her seat. I could feel her eyes boring into my back. “You could do a lot worse than Jorie, you know.”

“I know.” I answered through gritted teeth. “I just don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

“Which idea would that be?”

I stayed silent, scrubbing the dishes extra hard. She took this as an opportunity.

“He’s good-looking, you know,” she said. “I know you’ve seen how the other girls look at him. And he’s only a year away from becoming a journeyman. You know that old Mr. Smithers is going to sell him the shop.”

“I know.”

She heard the anger building in my voice, but that didn’t stop her.

“Don’t you want someone to spend your life with? Someone to take care of you? Father’s not going to be around forever.” She brushed her hair back with one hand and words continued to rush out of her mouth. “Obviously, you can stay with Thomas and me. Is that the life you want?”

“I want to be free.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could hear her cheeks turning bright red as her voice rose another octave.

“You want to be free?” She snorted. “Who’s going to take care of you while you’re being free? Who’s going to feed you?”

I didn’t want her to see the tears that were streaming down my face. And I couldn’t think of anything to say to her. I couldn’t stop from stomping a little as I crossed the kitchen, grabbing the large woven basket that sat by the door. Balancing it on one hip, I practically ran out the doorway and into what was now bright sunshine.

I could hear her calling and shouting behind me, but I didn’t turn around. The laundry needed to be done, I told myself. I could face her later.

I crossed the field, going in the direction opposite the one the men had gone. The woods had always been welcoming when I was a little girl. Now the cool green light between the trees felt like coming home. I stopped just inside the line of trees and took a deep breath, feeling the cool air on my burning cheeks.

I set the basket on the ground and stopped to strip off my shoes before going on. Walking through the light-dappled darkness, with the cool dirt under my feet, I let myself release the thoughts that I had pushed into the corners of my mind.